Social media has transformed political news consumption. Social media networks are often praised for allowing users to obtain unedited and impartial information. Hence, they have become significant instruments for political involvement, allowing regular individuals to voice their ideas, ask questions, and join in conversations long reserved for political elites. Social media provides rapid access to political campaigns, commercials, debates, and online dialogues, making it the biggest political influencer today. Social media can democratize political dialogue, but it is not objective. Social media algorithms favor engaging content, which spreads bogus news and sensationalism. Political players use social media to spread misinformation and propaganda. Foreign governments have used false accounts and social media to influence domestic politics. Social media has equipped those disadvantaged in society with the tools to participate in political debates. Consequently, social media’s pros and cons must be evaluated carefully. It has also polarized and eroded faith in established news sources. This paper argues that although social media is often lauded as a free and open forum for expression, it often has the opposite effect on voters by subjecting them to information overload, aiding in brainwashing, and pushing narratives on specific groups of people.
People are continuously bombarded with news, opinions, and analyses from various sources due to the rise of social media and digital technologies. Voters suffer from mental corruption brought on by this information overload. Social media and digital technologies have significantly influenced American politics, flooding people with news, opinions, and analysis. Dagnes points out that Americans consume media 12 hours a day, causing information overload and decision-making issues. Often blamed for spreading fake news, social media platforms might compound this problem and threaten democracy. He also argues that the speed at which information moves and the volume of content created and consumed on social media platforms make it impossible for people to comprehend and fact-check a large amount of information accessible. This may spread misinformation and sabotage democracy.
Social media sites target certain people and groups, boosting narratives and affecting voting decisions. Technology has accelerated information output. This has changed political information sharing and consumption. Dan Schulman, then an executive at AT&T and the future CEO of Virgin Mobile USA, remarked, “The changing communication structure of the Net was creating a tsunami of change, unseen and unfelt now, but sure to wipe away the worlds as we know it when it arrives” (Ricke). This availability of information has caused a deluge of contradicting content from many sources, confusing and overwhelming users. Facts and reliable sources are becoming harder to distinguish. This necessitates discriminating against political information intake and credible news sources. Many people utilize social media and user-generated material to confirm their prejudices, complicating this issue. Hence, political polarization may increase as people become more separated from different ideas. Given these obstacles, critical thinking and political information skepticism are crucial. Policymakers must also control fake news and improve media literacy. So, we can ensure that political debate is founded on credible facts and that individuals may meaningfully engage in democracy.
In recent years, podcasts have allowed artists to interact with listeners globally and build a loyal audience. This relationship lets podcasters get audience comments, ideas, and financial assistance, which improves their material. The “Welcome to Night Vale” podcast features a lively community of listeners discussing the show’s mysteries and sharing their hypotheses (Podcasting). This active interchange of information and views deepens the listener’s political consciousness and grasp of the podcast’s topics. The enormous amount of information makes it challenging to comprehend and fact-check, which can cause erroneous information to propagate and influence voters. Due to information overload, indoctrination, and the ability to push narratives toward specific individuals and influence their voting behavior, social media has an overall detrimental effect on voters.
Politicians may now reach out to their constituents and the broader public through social media as statistically proven. Former United States presidents like Donald Triumph have properly utilized social media tools such as a Twitter handle to air their political message. He contributes to rallying their supporters and ridiculing their opponents. Politicians utilize social media technologies like Twitter to rapidly and efficiently communicate with the public. Donald Triumph is the perfect example of ridiculing the 2016 opponents in the election. This enabled him to reach a broader audience and maintain direct touch with the people and aided him in gaining additional support and ultimately winning the election. Politicians have found social media essential for reaching out to people and spreading political ideas. As stated in the article, “Radio appears to be a dinosaur in the age of social media (Dagnes 45). President Donald Trump, for instance, has millions of Twitter followers and can instantly contact them with the touch of a button.”
Social media is far from an unfiltered and unbiased source of information, allowing a politician to bypass media outlets and fostering discussions with the public. Politicians can also sidestep traditional media means, including newspapers and television, by using social media. This gives them more significant influence over the narrative and allows them to sway public opinion. Politicians, for example, may make viral films that swiftly spread over social media, helping them to reach a larger audience and generate support for their policy. Also, people in the public sphere now have a voice, thanks to social media. People can participate in online discussions and express their perspectives on current topics through websites like Twitter and Facebook. This has been crucial for advancing democracy and enabling citizens to interact with elected officials. According to Dagnes, social media has significantly increased people’s capacity to participate in political discourse and hear their opinions (48-53).
In addition, social media is a powerful tool that provides platforms for narratives to be pushed to targeted audiences. The ability of social media to provide individuals with a platform to communicate and connect and share their opinion and value is one of its main advantages. Social media platform uses algorithms to provide users tailored content according to their preferences. Due to algorithms, social media platforms can target specific audiences and push narratives aligning with their preference, values, beliefs, and interests. As a result, social media users are likelier to engage with the content they see. Social media content we see is not random but rather is carefully directed to reach specific persons or groups, and their attitudes can be affected by the ferocity of the message. Despite the individuals having a certain level of self-selection, such as deciding which social media accounts or pages to follow, they are still exposed to targeted content capable of influencing their behavior and beliefs. Due to the availability of online videos, politicians are offered a level of image and message control outside the mainstream media’s purview (Dagnes). Politicians can now communicate their stories by bypassing traditional media outlets, controlling the narrative, and swaying public opinion in their favor. This has a negative consequence as politicians can spread misinformation and propaganda without fearing being held accountable by the media.
The adverse impact of social media on politics, particularly in influencing voting patterns, has been a subject of criticism. There is a prevalent belief that social media platforms can serve as a means of conveying crucial governmental updates and variables. Although the statement may hold validity, it is essential to contemplate the detrimental impacts that social media platforms may impose on the electoral procedure. Social media can potentially engage the community in electoral processes and facilitate public participation (Podcasting 50). However, it can also serve as a detrimental source of news that exploits vulnerable individuals and poses challenges to fact-checking due to the proliferation of false information. Notwithstanding, some contend that social media can serve as a medium for disseminating crucial developments and variables within the realm of governance. Although the counterargument possesses certain strengths, it ultimately proves inadequate in adequately addressing the harmful impact of social media on the political sphere.
The veracity of the claim that social media can engage the populace in electoral processes and provide a platform for public expression is substantiated. Politicians’ utilization of social media can facilitate direct communication with their constituents, thereby fostering a closer relationship between elected officials and the general public. Furthermore, social media platforms have the potential to serve as a means of distributing information regarding governmental policies and resolutions, thereby facilitating the acquisition of knowledge for individuals interested in staying abreast of political matters. The potential existence of dichotomies within the political system, coupled with the abundance of information, may result in significant dissemination of misinformation. The significance of verifying information on social media cannot be overstated, as it can potentially manipulate public opinion and impact electoral outcomes.
Nonetheless, social media’s favorable attributes are eclipsed by its adverse impacts on political discourse (Podcasting 49). Social media is a news source that negatively affects individuals with vulnerable cognitive states. Its integrity is challenging to verify due to the proliferation of fabricated news. The binary divisions within the political structure and the copious quantities of data collide, resulting in significant misinformation. Research has indicated that misinformation disseminated through social media platforms has a propagation rate of six times greater than accurate information (Podcasting 45). This phenomenon is because social media algorithms prioritize content that elicits higher levels of engagement, irrespective of its integrity. The dissemination of false information and misinformation may have detrimental effects on democratic systems.
Although social media can benefit politics, its detrimental consequences ultimately surpass potential advantages. Hence, although social media can help certain facets of the political process, it can also have adverse effects by misrepresenting information and swaying voters to make choices that may not align with their optimal outcomes. The creation of false dichotomies on social media inadequately serves the intricate and complex political system within which politicians operate. It is imperative to acknowledge the harmful impact of social media on political discourse and implement measures to mitigate its effects.
In conclusion, Social media has a huge influence on politics. It has altered communication and information access but has also had detrimental effects. Social media makes it hard to tell reality from fiction and make educated decisions and engage in democracy. Fake news and misinformation on social media exacerbate this problem, dividing and confusing society. Addressing this issue will preserve our democracy. Examples include promoting media literacy and critical thinking, regulating social media platforms to prevent misinformation, and encouraging responsible social media use. Avoiding this subject might increase divisiveness and damage our democratic institutions. In the age of social media, we must all protect democracy.
Works Cited
Dagnes, Alison. Politics on demand: The effects of 24-hour news on American politics. ABC- Podcasting. “You Are Not Alone: Podcast Communities, Audiences and Welcome to Night Vale”
Ricke, LaChrystal D. The Impact of YouTube on U.S. Politics. Lexington Book
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